LABOR OF LOVE: Gov. Cuomo and Sandra Lee yesterday remove debris from a Margaretville home as part of "Labor For Your Neighbor."AP

Gov. Cuomo got down and dirty yesterday, lending a hand — and lots of elbow grease — to help a storm-wrecked upstate community get back on its feet.

Grabbing a bucket in one hand and a rake and broom in another, a dressed-down Cuomo and girlfriend Sandra Lee joined volunteers in Margaretville to launch the governor’s Labor For Your Neighbor initiative targeting New York towns hardest-hit by Tropical Storm Irene.

The jeans- and boots-clad governor grinned gamely as he hurled a leaky bag of garbage into a bin, donned gloves to tour a muck-filled bathroom and basement in a storm-ravaged home, cheered on other volunteers — and listened solemnly as residents related their stories of devastation.

Cuomo crowed that he was but one of more than 2,000 people who had signed up to help.

“I am proud to be out here today with hundreds of my fellow New Yorkers to help firsthand in the cleanup and recovery efforts after Hurricane Irene,” he said in a statement.

“The response to our Labor for Your Neighbor program has been overwhelming, but to me, it is not surprising. New Yorkers are always ready to lend a hand to help someone in need.”

Initial volunteer deployments targeted Margaretville, Prattsville and Keene, but more communities will be designated, the governor’s office said.

The National Guard and state Office of Emergency Management are supervising the volunteer effort. Everyone joining will be shuttled where they need to go — and get all the supervision and equipment they need, the governor said.

Corporate sponsors include The Home Depot, Walmart and Verizon, which will supply pails, mops, shovels, rakes, cleaning supplies, food, water, and other equipment.

The governor last week said he expected damage in New York from Tropical Storm Irene to reach “close to $1 billion,” and promised there will be state and federal money for a recovery.

“We are not just going to rebuild; we are going to rebuild back better than ever before,” he vowed Wednesday.